


Like The Stars Hold the Moon

by TeriTheTacticalUnicorn



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dimension Travel, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Loss, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Presumed Dead, Reunions, Soldier (Mass Effect), Sole Survivor (Mass Effect), Song: I Found (Amber Run), Thane Krios Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29842578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn/pseuds/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn
Summary: Brooklyn is back! This is a rewrite, the time travel fic seemed too on the nose, and I finally got around to rewriting the first chapter instead of posting new works I've had sitting, this is an old work I'm rewriting.It is still our brunette heroine Brooklyn James and Jeff "Joker" Moreau. But the timeline has changed. Brooklyn has tumbled into the Battle of the Citadel, And she's here to stay when she and Joker both join Cerberus after Liara contacts them.The story we know and love, but Joker has a flesh and bone significant other instead of EDI.I personally believe that Bioware didn't think giving the guy with BBD a metal girlfriend.
Relationships: James Vega/Ashley Williams, Jeff "Joker" Moreau/Original Character(s), Kal'Reegar/Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Male Shepard/Liara T'Soni
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Well, Shit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astuarian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astuarian/gifts).



> I love your supportive comments. Let's celebrate EA leaving Bioware alone to make the Mass Effect 4 we deserve!

James

Brooklyn E

38210-6772

12/24/1993

O Pos - USN

SEALS

Norse 

Chapter One: Into Wonderland? 

  
  
  


"Look, I told you _everything!_ I'm Lieutenant-Commander Brooklyn James. I was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Grew up in Chattanooga. I enlisted in the United States Navy to go to college. I was walking to the bus stop when I was pushed down, and I woke up wherever this is!" Brooklyn slammed her dog tags down on the metal table between her and some first Lieutenant nobody. She outranked him, and he tried manipulation tactics. 

But Brooklyn had nothing to hide. "Lieutenant, that's enough." The sound of an authoritative tone made her turn on her heel and salute. The little shit on the other side of the table had done the same. The boy was dismissed, and an older man put her at ease. "So you're the one that appeared in the middle of the Presidium During the firefight. I'm Captain Anderson."

"Lieutenant-Commander Brooklyn James, United States Navy. Sir." She saluted him again, before he motioned for her to sit.

"Haven't had any singular military on Earth since they merged to create the Earth Systems Alliance after the First Contact War." Anderson picked her dog tags up off the table, his large eyes seeming to get larger. 

"What was I shooting at? They had lights on their heads and didn't speak. Well, didn't speak English, anyway. Also, a man in some weird jumpsuit bowled me over as a bug guy and a giant armored toad basically chased him to an elevator… why are you laughing at me?" Brooklyn was legitimately confused on every side of the spectrum why being chased and shooting weird lightheads was amusing.

Before Anderson could answer her, the man in question, still in his funky bodysuit, and still flanked by the bug and armored toad, walked through the weird futuristic doors… on the space station… she lowered her borrowed gun that never seemed to run out of ammo. "You shoved me." She seethed.

"My apologies. We had to get to the tower. I'm Commander John Shepard, this is Garrus Vakarian and Urdnot Wrex." So the creepy aliens weren't chasing him, they were a group.

"Commander Brooklyn James, The hundred and ninety year old Soldier who appeared through the conduit." Anderson said before she could introduce herself. She didn't have her fatigues on. She was in civvies when she was pushed aside on the street. Blue jeans, a tank top, US Navy zip up, combat boots. She had to borrow a pistol from a dead human man when the lightheads noticed her hiding behind an overturned tank-thing. 

"You sure she's a hundred and ninety, Anderson? She doesn't look older than twenty." John's eyes razed over Brooklyn curiously. 

"Twenty-six actually. The year I remember it being was 2019. I enlisted into the United States Navy when I was seventeen after two years of JROTC in High School. My dad was a Drill Sergeant based at Fort Benning in Georgia. I was based at Royal Air Force Upwood in England." She said, looking at her boots with her head in her hands. If Brooklyn had to guess, she'd been almost forty-eight hours with no sleep, and the gears in her brain were starting to grind. 

"Since you're here, and not in 2019, you're a part of the Systems Alliance, Soldier. Shepard, get her outfitted and sign her up for N7 training." Anderson said, shoving them away as he read the profile that was emailed to him by Alliance Brass. 

It was an old file for one Brooklyn Elizabeth James. Born in Tennessee in December of 1993, and went MIA in July of 2019. She'd had several medals, and was made a Lieutenant-Commander by the age of twenty-one because of JROTC. A purple heart, bullet to the left calf. She was a Military Brat, both parents in the Military, an older brother who died in the Twin Towers in New York in 2001. She and Shepard would be a match made in Hell for anyone who crossed them together. Anderson made a few calls to Alliance Brass and asked for her to have new tags made. 

Shepard was a godsend when he handed Brooklyn a cup of coffee while she sat in the medbay of his _Spaceship_. If she woke up from this right now, Brooklyn would be pissed. But the click against her skull as Dr. Chakwas slid a translator into the small incision she made assured her it was no dream. Also, Medi-gel, What! The incision on her skull was a pink scar now. And Garrus walked in and smiled, chuckling at her wide eyes.

"I don't think she has ever seen a Turian before, Shepard." Garrus said, standing back just in case she decided to point a pistol at him again. 

"Well, I've seen you twice now, actually." Brooklyn chuckled, Shepard handing her what looked like an Apple Watch on steroids. 

"It's an Omni-Tool, Kid. Here. You can make calls, check emails, watch Vids. Yup, and it has a blade interface for melee during close contact." Wrex was showing her how to use it when Shepard and Garrus walked away.

"Guess the Alliance pushes out brutal women nowadays. She's a soldier that had to guess how to use a pistol. At least she knew how to turn the safety off." Garrus chuckled. 

"I think that's why Anderson said N7 program. He sent me her file, everything she told Anderson was true, look." Shepard pulled up the Missing in Action file. A pic of Brooklyn in full Navy Seals fatigues, her brown hair in a bun at the base of her skull and she standing at attention in front of an American Flag. 

"Navy Seal, That's old military. My dad told me they were trained better than N7s and that's actually who invented the N7 program after the militaries of Earth formed the Alliance. She'll be an asset. But is she really a hundred and ninety years old, Skipper?" Ashley asked, and Shepard nodded. 

"And she sounds like an old western vid. Has an old southern drawl like you'd hear in that Django vid." Garrus said. 

Shepard chuckled, Brooklyn did have the southern drawl he hadn't heard since he was in foster care in Louisiana as a kid. It was then he gave the ok for Ashley to go tell Brooklyn about their Mission on Saren, the Reapers, all of it. 

He wanted her on his team the moment she finished N7 training. 


	2. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TWO YEARS LATER

Brooklyn was jogging around Zakera Ward when her Omni-Tool pinged a message from Anderson. It had been three months since the _Normandy_ was attacked, and if she had to yell at one more Alliance Upper, she'd probably explode. 

In her vermillion leggings, black camisole and Navy zip up, she stepped into Councilor Anderson's office, Joker was yelling at the councilors, who had to gather outside the tower while it was being repaired. Joker barely holding himself up on his crutches. "You can't expect people to believe this! Shepard gave his life for this!"

"The files are being sealed, Flight Lieutenant Moreau. And on our orders, you're grounded." The Asari councilor said, and Udina grabbed Brooklyn by the waist just as she was about to go at the blue woman. 

"You sons of bitches! Shepard saved your fucking lives!" Brooklyn screamed, Joker watched as Udina had a hard time keeping her from mauling the Asari woman. 

"It's no use, Brooklyn. Come on." Joker said, and Udina released her, blood flowing from his nose from where her head broke it.

"And if you ever touch me again, Udina, I'll fuck your shit up." She followed her best friend out of the office after flipping off the council. She had been on the _Normandy_ when it was attacked. But there was no investigation. No retrieval of Shepard's body, or remains. 

The two sat in a ward coffee shop when Liara called Joker. "Sup T'Soni? Did ya hear? We're grounded. They're keeping everyone in the dark about the Reapers, and Oh Yea, Brooklyn broke Udina's nose. It was beautiful!" Joker said. 

"I found his body, Joker. Cerberus says they're going to try and bring him back with a special project." Joker looked stupefied, before thanking Liara and snorting. She sent them both an email.

"Work for Cerberus? Didn't Shepard fight Cerberus a lot in the past? And she wants us to go to this base and work with them?" Brooklyn scoffed before finishing her black coffee. 

They were on the shuttle with their duffle bags that night. 

******Two Years Later******

Shepard still wasn't up. When Brooklyn and Joker first saw his body, Brooklyn turned her face into Joker's chest. He was dead. The very final kind of death. The fall to Alchera from space had burned up his body, there wasn't anything left to save. But Miranda Lawson assured the new couple that she would do her best to bring their friend back. 

Now, Joker looked at the sleeping form next to him. Brooklyn's insane chocolate curls were splayed across the pillow, her honey colored eyes hidden behind their lids, and her perfect, could-stop-a-truck body clad only in sleep shorts and an Alliance hoodie made his heart skip a beat. This woman was his _wife_. He could hardly believe it. But they had to get up, as much as the Pilot could watch his new bride sleep in his arms. There had been an attack at the medical facility Shepard was at. Mechs gone rogue or reprogrammed, he wasn't sure. He was excited about the new ship Cerberus had built. They'd just told him and Brooklyn about it when they'd come back from her last flight test. 

"Brooklyn, we gotta wake up." Joker said, kissing her temple. She grumbled about him keeping her up all night with his shenanigans, and he chuckled and squeezed her ass, making her squeak.

"What is it, Jeff?" She chuckled, trying to tame wild curls, blowing a stray curl back from dangling in front of her eye. 

He kissed her, their lips melding into a rhythm that was now like second nature. "Shepard's awake." And her eyes lit up. She pulled a pair of fatigue pants on, boots, the hat and shirt in her hands before they sped through the facility. Miranda and Jacob were standing around when they stepped out of the elevator. 

"Where is he?" Brooklyn ordered, pulling her hair into a quick braid and placing her hat on backwards, making Joker chuckle. 

"Through there. Go on." Miranda smiled as she pointed past the loadout.

"I've found you a pilot and another for your ground team. People you can trust." The Illusive Man vanished as the door slid open to reveal familiar faces to John. Brooklyn smirked and crossed her arms as Joker limped to wrap Shepard in a very manly, but not too tight hug. Brooklyn joined in, Shepard had become like a brother to her in the short time he was training her. They all stayed like that for a few moments before letting go.

"I can't believe it's you guys." Shepard smirked.

"You're telling me, we watched you get spaced." Joker clapped Shep on the back and explained why he and Brooklyn were with Cerberus. "But it's not all bad. They brought you back, and let us fly." The lights came up in the hanger bay. They had rebuilt the Normandy. 

Even after only four months on the original warship, it had become home. Brooklyn had acclimated so fast to her future in the future. She had roots here, friends, and now family as she took Joker's hand. The motion didn't slip past Shepard as he smiled at them, noting that both wore simple gold bands on their left hands. 

"Guess we'll have to give her a name." He said, nodding approvingly at Joker and Brooklyn.

Three days later, and Shepard had been regaled with every little detail of what happened after he died. But Joker hadn't been alone. It was obvious to anyone that the hundred and ninety year old N7 he trained loved his pilot like it was her entire purpose in the new life she'd been handed. And they weren't loyal to Cerberus, Liara had told them Cerberus was bringing John back, they joined out of loyalty to Shepard. 

Shepard chuckled when Miranda was eyeballing Brooklyn. The "perfect" Miranda Lawson was shown up by Brooklyn's natural perfection. Brooklyn didn't have to tell people she was engineered to perfection. She told Shepard to shove it when he made fun of her for marrying Joker.

"I don't care about his disability. It doesn't stop him from doing his job. And I love him. I'm not sure when it started. Maybe the day I tried to attack the Asari councilor." Brooklyn admitted, sitting on a table in the mess in her sleep shorts and a cut-off N7 sweater that stopped just above her navel to reveal a tattoo that said _Moreau._ She noticed him look at it and bent forward. "I kept my last name to avoid confusion on mission… but I'm Mrs. Moreau." She smiled into her mug of coffee, her wedding ring clinking against the ceramic. 


	3. Gathering the Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a quick run-through of gathering the first half of the Suicide Squad.

"Excuse me, you tried to _attack_ the Asari Councilor?" Shepard chuckled. Brooklyn was a great soldier, with a gun in her hands. But she was five feet tall, and maybe a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. He couldn't help but laugh at the image of her trying to attack a six foot Asari. 

"And she broke Udina's nose. I think that's when I first wanted to marry her." Joker's voice said sarcastically over the comm in the mess. That sent Shepard into a fit of laughter and he almost fell off his chair. 

Brooklyn rolled her eyes, but was smiling at the joy in Shepard's eyes. It was no secret John harbored no love for Udina. 

Brooklyn was in the Pilot's chair, which confused Shepard. "Where's Joker?" He asked, watching her flip a couple switches, wearing sweatpants and an Alliance hoodie. 

"He's sleeping. Cerberus trained me as a pilot when I asked them to. Two pilots make for better sleep schedules, and my husband still has glass bones, John." Brooklyn said. Shepard could see the similarities between Brooklyn and Joker now. He chuckled at the realization. She had a leg up under one of her arms, the other underneath her as she looked at him. "Did ya need him for something, John? I'm about to take us into Citadel space." She said, her hat pulled down over her eyes.

"Nah, looks like you got it under control, Mrs. Joker." He laughed and she smacked him. 

"Shoo, out of my cockpit. I'll bring us into the Citadel and then suit up." She said, shoving him away. 

When Brooklyn did suit up, it was different than the kevlar in her time. The new black and hot pink painted armor was really light. Cerberus knew a thing or two about making armor, and she gave credit where it was due. 

Attaching her pistol to her magbelt and the Avenger AR to the magnets at her back made everything that she and Joker had signed up for real. She pulled her gauntlets on, taking a steadying breath. She did a double take of some bags and a footlocker she was sure hadn't been in the hangar this morning, but shook it off and followed Shepard out the airlock behind Miranda.

An hour later, Miranda was pouting, Shepard told her to return to the Normandy. Brooklyn wasn't Cerberus, not really, and they assumed Kasumi wasn't either. "So you're the Pilot's wife? Huh." Kasumi was looking over the short woman in her girly armor.

"What do you mean "Huh"? Is it because I'm short? Or because I'm almost two hundred years old?" Brooklyn asked just before John set off alarms.

"It wasn't me, I just got here." Kasumi put her hands up, to Brooklyn's amusement. Turned out John was flagged, rightfully so, as deceased. 

That led them to Captain Bailey, turse older guy who looked at them like they were annoying flies at a picnic.

The Presidium hadn't changed much. Stuck up Asari, Salarians and Turians around every corner. "Strange being back here. Falling through that thing," Brooklyn wiggled her fingers at the offending Prothean tech still acting as a centerpiece for the Citadel, "kinda leaves a bad taste in your mouth." 

Shepard tossed an arm over her shoulder and laughed. "But then you would never have met Joker. Or be on this Suicide mission to stop the Collectors." John was way too excited about imminent death than Brooklyn liked.

"Mortality has gone to your head, ya big oaf." She joked and stepped into Anderson's office as he spoke to the Council. They had an interesting conversation with the Council that gave Shepard his Spectre resources back. Then Udina happened and he knew better than to get within five feet of the tiny woman who accompanied John Shepard.

"Well, that went well." Shepard chuckled, "Nobody has a broken nose." Brooklyn elbowed him where his armor was just thin weave.

"The only reason Udina got a broken nose two years ago was because he grabbed me up like a damn ragdoll when I was defending your stupid honor." She grumbled.

"Do we really have to go to a _Space Prison_? Like, you want my wife to go there, and grab a crazy biotic guy?" Joker said as Brooklyn sat up as close to the window as she could before the floor dipped down. Her mouth half full of the five alarm chili the Mess Sergeant made. 

She looked between Joker and Shepard and shrugged before swallowing and using her napkin to wipe her face. "Illusive asshat said it's just a pick-up. In and out, babe, easy and clean. Nothing can go wrong. Now, this Chili is really good. Quiet both of y'all." 

Apparently, things _could_ go wrong during a pick-up, the Warden tried to.lock them in a cell. They had had to fight their way out and then convince Jack to join them.

"Just give her the damned files, Miranda! For Christ's holy asscheeks, what is wrong with you? Shepard is running this shit, you need to recognize that." Brooklyn folded her arms over her chest and shifted her weight. Miranda grumbled, but handed the data pad to Brooklyn, who happily handed it to Jack. 

Shepard had made it clear that Miranda wasn't the second in Command on the Normandy. Brooklyn was, and she was done taking people's excuses and bullshit at face value after the Council. 

Brooklyn found Grunt interesting, Zaeed was an asshole, but a decent soldier as they fought their way to Mordin Solus on Omega. 

Brooklyn liked Mordin too, but like John, she couldn't understand why he basically sterilized the Krogan. Well, she understood _why_ , she didn't understand why it hadn't been reversed yet. Okeer had been reduced to creating test tube baby Krogan. Wrex was always nice to her, ever since she headbutted him. All of the Krogan she had met up to this point had become Brooklyn's friend. 

To say they expected a different Turian when walking into the lavish Omega apartment would be a huge understatement. "Holy shitballs." She smiled and put a hand on her armored hip. Her visor told her his heart rate was elevated and he had stims in his system. Garrus looked tired, and if the covered bodies were to be taken at face value, his entire team had been killed. Ten bodies lie in a row in front of his couch on the lower level. 

And then the stubborn ass took a rocket to his face while everyone else hit the deck. "Shit! _Normandy,_ I need medical standing by on the double. It's Garrus, Joker." Brooklyn said as she helped John roll the seven and a half foot turian onto a medboard and hurry him through Omega. 

"Hold on Garrus. Chakwas is gonna take good care of you, brother." She whispered to him as they half-ran towards the dock.


End file.
